Laying our water pipe--50 feet short of the Fountain of Life

Jeremiah 2:13 - "My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water."

Hosea 7:16 KJV - "They return , but not to the most High: they are like a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt."

The prophet Hosea was addressing the nation of Israel. The church (us) is the New Testament nation of Israel.

Hosea laid out the sins of Israel; they are not much different than ours today. I don't find that surprising. Men have not changed much over the years; we just ride faster horses and the women are more beautiful.

Hosea than says in part in verse 16..."They return (but) not to the most high." We lay our water pipe 50 feet short of the Fountain of Life...we want the church culture. One businessman told me, "I have to belong to a church if I want to do business in this town." He needed the church culture to survive but he did not want Christ.

We come back to church for our rituals. We "shack up" but when we need a church wedding, we come back only in outward action but our heart is far from the Living Water once again, our water pipe is 50 feet short.

Many of us live a shriveled life. We are like a plant that didn't receive any water; we are alive but barely. We choose not to come any closer to Christ; no, we don't want to be considered a radical; it might ruin our "cool guy" reputation. We don't come close because we are ashamed; ashamed of our unconfessed sin. Oh, the world knows not of it, but God does. We lay pipe for living water 50 feet short of the Fountain of Life. We would rather live a shriveled life than coming humbly to God, through Jesus Christ all forgiven and restored and drink in the Living Water from the Fountain of God...

Come back to Jesus OR come for the first time. Grace of Christ is living water, He refreshes, he cleanses; it quickens our life, revives our drooping soul, and it never stops flowing.

Get up out of your sin; lay the last 50 feet of your water pipe. Be forgiven, restored and be refreshed. Come to Christ and live.